Wow, it actually looks really really really good. I hadn't checked out your work for months, but it's massively better than the last thing I saw, which was decent to start with. I'm starting to think that it might be *too* sophisticated to be wasted on games...but I remember you saying that the computational requirements are minimal; if indeed they are they cheap enough so they don't 'steal' cycles from other more basic functions, then it would be a great additions.

But I'm sure you already know that games is just a part of your target...I mean I don't really have much idea how,say, large LOTR-like battles are handled in movies right now, but I could see it helping there, or things like documentaries, demonstrations and such(I'm not mentioning scientific simulations because I remember you saying that it's not what you guys do exactly). Anyway, I'm impressed! :)

Quote: Original post by mikeman
I remember you saying that the computational requirements are minimal; if indeed they are they cheap enough so they don't 'steal' cycles from other more basic functions, then it would be a great additions.

Right now we're bottlenecked entirely in PhysX, which itself isn't multithreaded to any useful degree. So basically what you're seeing is one maxed out thread of an i7, while seven other threads sit around doing nothing. CPU utilization is maxed at something like 20% because of that limitation. Once the new PhysX with proper multithreading is out, or once a different physics engine with better threading is in play, who knows? And let's not forget that full blown GPU driven rigid body physics is just around the corner, too.

Quote:
But I'm sure you already know that games is just a part of your target...I mean I don't really have much idea how,say, large LOTR-like battles are handled in movies right now, but I could see it helping there, or things like documentaries, demonstrations and such

Actually, a package called MASSIVE was developed specifically for LOTR's battles. It's a very cool system but if you watch demos, you'll notice that interaction between the actors in the crowds is minimal at best.

And we have a good Hollywood director friend who is very eager about what ours will be able to do given some more development work [smile]

Funny when you drop the ball in the crowd :)
Great job about the real time physics-IA! this simulation makes me think Left4Dead.

Quote: driven by only a very basic high level AI

So, "very basic high level AI" is the technical word for a guy who's high or drunk?
Seriously, they look as if they were drunk!

Very nice video

Seriously Promit - use a higher tessellation on the crushing balls! I'd be willing to be that that thing has at most 100 triangles...

The technology still looks pretty cool though. I would like to see two groups of people driven by high level AI, where the ones with your technology applied were one color, and the stupid ones were another color. That would clearly highlight what you are trying to accomplish and what other systems can't provide.

Keep up the good work!

Amazing considering the sheer amount of calculations going on.

I would love to see what would happen when all characters have a purpose other than just to remain standing.